PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mesa Air Group, Inc. is pleased to announce a new agreement with United
Airlines that extends the term of its existing fleet of 20 Bombardier
CRJ 700 aircraft to 2019 and adds 30 new United owned Embraer 175
aircraft.

Under the terms of this agreement Mesa will place the new Embraer 175
jets into service over the next two years. Mesa will hire approximately
350 pilots, 300 flight attendants, and 200 maintenance and other support
personnel to support the additional aircraft.

“This is truly a great day for Mesa. We will continue to work hard to
provide the best possible service to United’s customers,” said Jonathan
Ornstein, Mesa’s Chairman and CEO. “Mesa began operating under the
United Express banner in 1992, and we are delighted to have this
opportunity to expand our longstanding partnership. Our first codeshare
agreement with United transformed our company, and I am sure this one
will do the same. We are also very pleased to rejoin the Embraer family
of operators and look forward to working with our many friends there as
well.”

Paul Foley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said,
“It has always been our goal to exceed the expectations of both our
partners and customers. We believe this contract is evidence that our
operational performance and industry leading cost structure have begun
to pay big dividends for the company and our people. Based on data from
the Department of Transportation, Mesa has been the number one
performing regional airline for each of the last three years. We’d like
to thank all of our people who have contributed to our success and
enabled us to compete successfully for this new business.”

Mesa Airlines currently operates over 425 daily system departures to 82
cities, 32 states, Mexico and the District of Columbia, as United
Express and US Airways Express under contractual agreements with United
Airlines and US Airways, respectively, and independently in Hawaii as
go! The airline, founded by Larry and Janie Risley in New Mexico in
1982, has approximately 2,000 employees.